threatened while open carrying at work

[RNB65]

Some people have character and some don't. Those who don't should be shown the door. Your company will be better off without them.

It also sounds like a little workplace discipline is badly needed. Reasonable policies defining standards of conduct and workplace expectations need to be developed and enforced. Let people know what is expected of them and hold them accountable if they refuse to meet those expections.

 

[hso]

I think you could have handled it better.

You are in an employee/employer relationship. There should be nothing personal about the interaction you had with him yet you made it personal.

You complained that you had to clean up after him and you complained to him about it. You did not indicate that you pointed out to him that the company required employees to keep the work area clean in compliance with OSHA regulations and the NFPA requirements as followed by the fire marshall and the company's underwriter. You instead told us, "After the most recent cleaning, I asked him to please start using a trash can because I cannot keep cleaning up his messes. ". You shouldn't be asking for him to be nice to you and pick up after himself. It's not a favor to you. By doing so you've made it a personal instead of an employer issue.

Subsequently he posted his childish sign and instead of taking a dispassionate professional approach you used the personal again. "I politely asked Zeke whose fingers he planned on breaking, he said "yours if you touch any more of my stuff." " There was no need to ask him anything. There was no need to invite him to say "Yours" by finding out who's fingers he was going to break. You were instructed by your supervisor to tell an employee that the management did not consider the sign humorous or appropriate and that he needed to remove it. That's all you should have done.

In all these interactions with Zeke you approached him as an individual that wanted him to do something related to your personal desires. Instead you should have approached him as the company requiring him to comply with regulations and policies.

This is very typical of a young supervisor who wants to be overly famililiar with employees. They forget that they are the personification of management instead of just another guy that wants to be respected and treated as such. The employer has an expectation that the employee will follow the company rules and that failure to do so can result in termination. When we make it a personal interaction we open ourselves up to all the personal dynamics.

The big concern that I have that's relevant to S&T is that I'm not sure that you understand that you turned what should have been a simple employer direction given to an employee into a personal interaction between agrieved parties. Whether Zeke was bluffing or not you should not have introduced a personal element into it and should have kept it purely a question of compliance with regulations and policy.

If I've read this incorrectly at least I hope you use it to reexamine the interaction.

Regardless, Zeke needs to go or you do and Zeke sounds replacable with someone that you don't have a history with.

As to the comment that OSHA would care about you carrying a gun. No. OSHA has no regulations governing this and would have no basis in regulation for acting.

 

[kungfuhippie]

nice to see I'm not on the fringe

I figure unless you're there you can't determine what to do. Not pulling on him was appropriate because Zeke (I hope that's just his internet name) just said a threat. Now had he started to beat me I'd take it unless he's a 350lb gorilla that crushes coconuts with his bare hands. Now my bad back would make me look different at the level of threat. A good wrench/punch to my back on the right day would put me down for the count. But yeah, there are Zekes at most jobs. The people saying to get a different job...Listen, first off, he's got a degree so I assume he could get a different job if he wanted. Maybe he likes working on trucks. It's a man's job. Most places where truck shops are in my area are places that incourage carrying. I mean if I worked on truck in Fontana California I'd want to carry, Not sure about Grove City, PA. Not only are truckers often not "civilized" (I know this cause I have my share of trucker friends) but crooks see shops as places that carry cash (and often more than 7-11)

Telling someone to not carry when they legally can is irresponsible. I'd recommend concealed carry over open carry. I prefer the element of surprise.

 

[White_Wolf]

Rereading this, two things come into my mind more so now than did when I first read it.

First, why are you carrying a gun in plane view at work? Wow! Talk about the preverbal slave master brandishing his whip to make sure everyone stays in line.

Another thing that just rubs me the wrong way is your multiple use of the word “civilized”. You also make a comparison between civility, money, and education. The question of money being a factor in behavior is a chicken and egg scenario. Is it the stressful and violent environment that raises one to be an ill tempered brute, or is a person born with a predisposition for violence and neglect destined to stay poor due to those behaviorisms?

The concept of education leading to civility is utterly ridiculous. There are far too many drunken frat boys acting like morons and slutty college girls taking their tops off at Mardi gras, to be equating education with civility.

I would venture to say that your frequent use of the word “civilized” and comparison of yourself to him in the civility department is indicative of pure egoism on your part. If Zeke is this uber slob that behaves in an indignant and even hostile manor, how has he managed to hold on to this job for so long? And do any of the other workers give you a hard time? If so, the problem maybe every bit your fault as it is Zeke’s. I mean, stuck-up little daddy’s boy comes to work with a gun on his hip and starts barking orders, and I wouldn’t be too happy with the situation.

So perhaps this situation ought to prompt a lot of reconsidering behavioral expectations between management and workers.

ALHunter wrote:

Have a policy that clearly states workplace violence or threats are not tolerated and that engaging in such can result in immediate termination

Gee, will that fancy dancy rule apply to daddy’s little boy toting a gun to work?

 

[cordex]

Gee, will that fancy dancy rule apply to daddy’s little boy toting a gun to work?

When did carrying a firearm become in and of itself a threat or violent act?

 

[highlander 5]

where I work most of the cell leaders/foreman are "kids" 20 somethings and I have no problem with taking orders from them provided they follow company rules and my own personel standards but my company has a ZERO tolerence for threats verbal or phyisical sexual harrassment by men or women etc. Osha come in on a regular basis and monitors us and we get fined big time for any problems they find.most of the guys I work with are nearing retirement and some do resent takng orders from a college kid but do you want to lose a job making 60K a year cause you don't like "the snot nosed" boss ?
both employer and employees have to have a little disipline and respect for each other.This guy Zeke sounds like a knucle dragger and it's best that he be shown the door,if he has no quams on threatening the "boss" God help anyone else who happens gets in his way

 

[Jeff White]

This one has drifted off topic into labor law and other issues.

Jeff